Welcoming A New Puppy: What Do I Do Now?

One of the best things to happen as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic has been the rise in pet adoptions across the country. Beginning in March of 2020 and into 2021, shelters continue to see a demand in adoptions and breeders talk of wait lists a mile long. I have certainly enjoyed watching clients welcome new animals into their homes but I have also realized many of the people adopting animals are completely new to pet ownership. While some have had dogs or cats previously, for many families it has been years since they’ve welcomed a new addition. Since it can be challenging to convey every piece of information during one veterinary visit, I thought I would put together some tips for welcoming a new puppy. For tips on on tackling your pup’s first veterinary visit, click here. Side note: these tips are also useful if the dog you adopted isn’t a puppy so, read on!

Adjusting to the home

Coming from the shelter or breeder and entering your home is a really big transition for any animal, especially a rescue. Puppies and potentially even older dogs need to be shown where they are allowed to be in the house - and this is different for everyone! Some people want their dogs to have access to the furniture, others prefer the dog to stay on his/her bed or crate. Decide what your preferences are and start by closing off doors to rooms you don’t want your dog to explore just yet (such as bathrooms and the dining area). Consider purchasing a baby gate, especially if you have a two or three story home, to prevent your dog from going all over the house. Giving your pet access to a small area of the home at first helps them acclimate to their new surroundings, prevent them from being over stimulated, and to help with potty training (if needed). In your pet’s area you should include a crate and/or dog bed, toys, food and water bowls, as well as a door with access to outdoors so they know where to go to indicate they need to use the restroom. Over time (days to weeks depending on the dog), you may gradually increase your dog’s living space.

Feeding

Food is a topic I could write about forever. But when bringing a new dog into your home there are a few main points associated with feeding you should know. Puppies should be fed a diet formulated for growth (typically labeled as ‘puppy food’) until one year of age. The reason this is important is to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies that could cause significant health problems as well as to provide plenty of calories for the growth and energy of a puppy! If you have adopted an adult dog, find out from the shelter or breeder what type of food he is used to eating. Purchase a small bag of that food to feed your pet while he adjusts to his new living arrangements. If you aren’t a fan of the dog food the dog has previously been fed and would like to change it to something else or you have a puppy turning one and would like to know how to switch over to adult dog food, here is a great article explaining how to transition your dog to a new food.

Often families aren’t sure how often to feed their pets. For young puppies (especially small and toy breeds) it is typically recommended to feed 3 meals a day. By feeding puppies often, it helps prevent their blood sugar from dropping too low and the pup becoming hypoglycemic. Once your puppy puts on some pounds or if you adopted an adult dog, twice a day meals are usually sufficient. I do discourage ‘free feeding’. Free feeding is when you fill a bowl with dog food and allow your pet to eat as they please. This type of feeding schedule does not work well for most dogs. Meals help to set the standard that humans are in charge of the food. Making your pup ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ or ‘wait’ while their food bowl is filled and placed in front of them encourages good doggy manners. Free feeding often leads to obesity and attempting to wean a free fed dog to twice a day meals can be a headache for many pet owners.

The type of bowl you use to feed your dog her food matters too. Stainless steel bowls are best for both food and water. If you have a dog who eats too quickly, maze bowls and food puzzles are great alternatives to a typical stainless steel food bowl. Make sure to wash all food and water bowls daily with soap and warm/hot water.

Training

Training begins immediately. What pet parents should understand is dogs know how to do a lot. They already know to sit, stay, lay down, go to their bed, come to you; they just need a command to be attached to their action. With puppies, I recommend starting with “sit”. Puppies are great at this, and if you have children at home, this is a wonderful way to include them in the training process. Use small, semi-moist training treats that your pup does not spend a lot of time chewing like these. Have each family member keep a treat sack with them at all times to reward positive behavior. See puppy sitting? Say “sit” and give a treat! Using tiny training treats allows for an instant reward and a quicker learning process. Adopted an older dog? They may or may not be trained, but it is still a good idea to reward things they do like sitting and laying down because it gives them confidence in their new surroundings. Also, previous owners may have used different commands or spending time in the shelter without working on the commands may mean the dog needs a few reminders.

As far as behaviors you do not like, the best punishment for a dog is being ignored. Dogs consider “No Sam! NO!!” as attention and usually will happily repeat their behavior because even though you are giving them negative attention, it is still attention. Focus on ignoring their bad habits. This works well with dogs who jump up on family members or house guests. However, it is very important that all friends and family members are on the same page and will ignore the dog. As soon as all 4 of the dog’s paws are on the floor, give an immediate reward! It takes time to reverse habits you dislike, so give your dog grace.

I will also tell you, a tired dog is a well behaved dog (similar to kids, right?!). With any training regimen, your dog will always perform better when they are tired. So, before you start to work on recall training (“come here, boy!”), please make sure your pup has had sufficient exercise. Setting him up for success is very important in every aspect of the training process. For example, if you are working on potty training a puppy, you need to take the puppy outside constantly to provide the puppy an opportunity to succeed. Working on recall training? This is typically a challenging command for a dog to learn, so make sure the dog is tired and also make sure you begin recall training indoors where there are limited distractions. After your pup is 80-90% successful indoors, you can move the recall training to an outdoor space with limited distractions, gradually working up to adding distractions (other people, other animals, kids riding bikes, etc) and new environments. Another training tip: change of scenery means you start from the beginning. What does that mean? Well, just because your dog can sit, stay, and lay down in your family room does not mean they can do those behaviors outside in your yard. Outside there are different smells and sounds, SQUIRREL?! Recognize the indoor environment is different from your yard, which is different from the leash, which is different from the veterinary clinic. Understand once your pet has mastered simple commands inside, you can work on those same commands, from the beginning, outside. Whether a new puppy or an adopted older dog, give them grace, love, exercise, and treats. 99% of the time, that’s all you need for a good, well-mannered pup.

Socialization & Exercise

How did you feel during the first few weeks to months of the lockdown in March 2020? Antsy? Anxious? Depressed? This is how animals feels when they have a lack of interaction day in and day out. It is important for your dog to meet other dogs, to sniff and smell, to understand different personalities, and have a change of scenery. Doggy daycare is probably my most prescribed ‘medicine’ - get your dog exercising and socializing! Doggy daycare provides an outdoor and indoor environment that is completely different from your living space filled with different dogs everyday! It is such a healthy experience for dogs of all ages, but especially puppies. If doggy daycare is not an option, there are many other ways you can socialize your pup: go hiking, host puppy playdates or take your dog to the lake or the beach. Even if you stick to neighborhood walks try changing your path every few days. Walking the same way each time becomes predictable to your dog and the sights and smells don’t change as much. If you choose a new path around your neighborhood every few days, this offers your dog more mental stimulation, more sights and smells, and I guarantee your pup will be tired from exploring the new route! Providing plenty of exercise and socialization prevents unwanted behaviors like obsessive barking, digging, chewing up furniture or other items in the home. It also keeps your pet healthy so they can be with you for as long as possible.

I hope these tips were helpful to you if you welcomed a new dog to your family this past year. Do not forget to touch base with your family veterinarian to inquire about food recommendations, a vaccine schedule, and parasite prevention for your new addition. I have enjoyed seeing the newly adopted cats and dogs this past year and how adding an animal to the family has brought a lot of love during such a trying time.

– Leigh Hofmeister, DVM